The invention relates to a cutting/clamping terminal element for electrical conductors.
German Patent No. 21 42 850 teaches a cutting/clamping terminal element with two clamping slots. Such a clamping element is limited on the outside by the sharp-edged clamping legs of one elastic metal bracket and on the inside by the edges of a sharp-edged clamping piece. In the resting position i.e., without a conductor being inserted into the clamping slot, the clamping legs rest on the outside against the side edges of the clamping piece being bent off to one side. When pressing a conductor into the clamping slot, the sharp-edged clamping legs and the sharp-edged clamping piece cut the wire insulation of the conductor and penetrate the conductive core of the conductor.
Another cutting/clamping terminal element is known from German Patent No. 82 01195. This cutting/clamping terminal element includes clamping legs bent over along a cross axis and surrounding a bent-off center piece. The cutting edges arranged on the inner side of the clamping legs rest against the side edges of the center piece for forming an open clamping slot.
With known cutting/clamping terminal elements, when pressing the conductor into the clamping slot, the conductor core is notched at two opposed positions whereby the conductor cross section is considerably reduced at the terminal point, such that even the risk of breakage of the conductor core exists. Further, it is not possible with the known terminal elements to connect conductors having a very thin conductor core, as the diameter must always be greater than the slot width of the clamping slot. Therefore, the connection of wire strands would not be possible.